https://github.com/novik133/novabar
✨ Modern macOS-style panel for X11/XFCE. Integrated Global Menu, system indicators (WiFi, BT, Sound), and a sleek Control Center. Fast & lightweight, built with Vala and GTK3. 💻🎨
https://github.com/novik133/novabar
customisation desktop-environment globalmenu gtk3 linux macos-style panel top-panel vala xfce4
Last synced: 4 months ago
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✨ Modern macOS-style panel for X11/XFCE. Integrated Global Menu, system indicators (WiFi, BT, Sound), and a sleek Control Center. Fast & lightweight, built with Vala and GTK3. 💻🎨
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/novik133/novabar
- Owner: novik133
- License: gpl-3.0
- Created: 2025-12-30T22:39:24.000Z (6 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-01-10T17:25:18.000Z (5 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-01-21T16:30:25.062Z (5 months ago)
- Topics: customisation, desktop-environment, globalmenu, gtk3, linux, macos-style, panel, top-panel, vala, xfce4
- Language: Vala
- Homepage:
- Size: 770 KB
- Stars: 17
- Watchers: 2
- Forks: 1
- Open Issues: 1
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
[](https://ko-fi.com/novadesktop)
# NovaBar
A modern, modular macOS-style panel for Linux supporting both X11 and Wayland.
## Features
### Core Components
- **Global Menu Bar** - Application menus integrated into the panel (X11), focused window title (Wayland)
- **Logo Menu** - System actions menu with Nova branding
- **System Indicators** - Network, Bluetooth, Sound, Battery, DateTime, Notifications
- **Control Center** - Quick access to system settings
- **Settings Panel** - Theme customization and configuration
### Key Features
- **macOS-style Design** - Clean, modern interface with transparency effects
- **X11 & Wayland Support** - Native support for both display servers
- **Global Menu Integration** - Application menus appear in the panel (X11)
- **Window Tracking** - Shows focused window on Wayland via wlr-foreign-toplevel
- **System Tray Replacement** - Modern indicators replace traditional system tray
- **Theme Support** - Dark and light themes with CSS customization
- **Modular Architecture** - Easy to extend with new indicators and components
## Screenshots
| Feature | Screenshot |
|---------|------------|
| Main Panel |  |
| Global Menu |  |
| Global Menu2 |  |
| Indicators |  |
| Logo Menu |  |
## Requirements
### System Dependencies
- GTK+ 3.0
- GLib 2.0
- GIO 2.0
- GDK X11 3.0
- libwnck 3.0 (X11 window tracking)
- X11
- NetworkManager (libnm)
### Wayland Dependencies (optional)
- gtk-layer-shell (panel positioning)
- wayland-client (protocol support)
### Build Dependencies
- Vala compiler
- Meson build system
- Ninja build tool
- pkg-config
- wayland-scanner (for Wayland support)
### Runtime Requirements
- X11 or Wayland (wlroots-based: labwc, sway, wayfire, etc.)
- XFCE or compatible desktop environment
- appmenu-gtk-module (for global menu support on X11)
## Installation
### From Source
1. **Install dependencies** (Ubuntu/Debian):
```bash
sudo apt install valac meson ninja-build pkg-config \
libgtk-3-dev libglib2.0-dev libgio2.0-dev \
libgdk-x11-3.0-dev libwnck-3-dev libx11-dev \
libnm-dev appmenu-gtk-module \
libgtk-layer-shell-dev libwayland-dev
```
**Arch Linux:**
```bash
sudo pacman -S vala meson ninja pkgconf gtk3 libwnck3 \
networkmanager gtk-layer-shell wayland
```
2. **Clone and build**:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/novik133/NovikBar.git
cd NovaBar
meson setup build
ninja -C build
```
3. **Build without Wayland** (X11 only):
```bash
meson setup build -Dwayland=false
ninja -C build
```
4. **Install**:
```bash
sudo ninja -C build install
```
5. **Run**:
```bash
novabar
```
### Auto-start Setup
Create desktop entry for auto-start:
```bash
mkdir -p ~/.config/autostart
cat > ~/.config/autostart/novabar.desktop << EOF
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=NovaBar
Exec=novabar
Hidden=false
NoDisplay=false
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
EOF
```
## Configuration
### Global Menu Setup (X11)
For applications to show menus in the panel:
1. **Install appmenu support**:
```bash
sudo apt install appmenu-gtk2-module appmenu-gtk3-module
```
2. **Set environment variables**:
```bash
export UBUNTU_MENUPROXY=1
export APPMENU_DISPLAY_BOTH=1
```
Add to `~/.profile` or `~/.xsessionrc` for persistence.
### Wayland Setup
NovaBar automatically detects Wayland and uses:
- **gtk-layer-shell** for panel positioning
- **wlr-foreign-toplevel-management** for window tracking
Supported compositors:
- labwc
- sway
- wayfire
- Hyprland
- Other wlroots-based compositors
### Theme Customization
NovaBar includes two built-in themes:
- **Dark Theme** (`novaos.css`) - Default dark theme
- **Light Theme** (`novaos-light.css`) - Light variant
Themes are installed to `/usr/share/novaos/` and can be customized via the Settings panel.
## Project Structure
```
NovaBar/
├── src/
│ ├── main.vala # Application entry point
│ ├── panel.vala # Main panel window and layout
│ ├── backend/ # X11/Wayland abstraction
│ │ ├── backend.vala # Runtime detection
│ │ ├── x11.vala # X11 panel setup
│ │ ├── wayland.vala # Wayland panel setup
│ │ └── popup.vala # Cross-platform popups
│ ├── toplevel/ # Window tracking
│ │ ├── tracker.vala # Abstract interface
│ │ ├── x11.vala # libwnck tracking
│ │ └── wayland.vala # wlr-foreign-toplevel
│ ├── wayland/ # Wayland protocol code
│ │ ├── wlr-toplevel.c # Protocol implementation
│ │ ├── wlr-toplevel.h # Header
│ │ └── wlr-toplevel.vapi # Vala bindings
│ ├── globalmenu/ # Global menu integration
│ ├── logomenu/ # Nova logo menu
│ ├── indicators/ # System indicators
│ │ ├── network/
│ │ ├── bluetooth/
│ │ ├── sound/
│ │ ├── battery/
│ │ ├── datetime/
│ │ ├── notifications/
│ │ └── controlcenter/
│ ├── settings/ # Configuration interface
│ └── about/ # About dialog
├── protocols/ # Wayland protocol XML
├── data/
│ ├── novaos.css # Dark theme stylesheet
│ └── novaos-light.css # Light theme stylesheet
├── Screenshots/
├── meson.build
├── meson_options.txt
├── CHANGELOG.md
├── LICENCE.md
└── README.md
```
## Development
### Building for Development
```bash
meson setup build --buildtype=debug
ninja -C build
./build/novabar
```
### Adding New Indicators
1. Create new directory in `src/indicators/`
2. Implement indicator class extending appropriate base
3. Add to `meson.build` sources
4. Register in `panel.vala` right_box
### Code Style
- Follow Vala conventions
- Use 4-space indentation
- Document public APIs
- Maintain modular architecture
## Troubleshooting
### Global Menu Not Working (X11)
- Ensure `appmenu-gtk-module` is installed
- Check environment variables are set
- Restart applications after setup
### Panel Not Appearing
- Check X11/Wayland compatibility
- Verify dependencies are installed
- Run from terminal to see error messages
### Wayland Issues
- Ensure compositor supports wlr-foreign-toplevel-management
- Check gtk-layer-shell is installed
- Verify wayland-client is available
### High CPU Usage
- Check for window manager conflicts
- Disable other panels/docks
- Monitor system resources
## Contributing
1. Fork the repository
2. Create feature branch
3. Make changes following code style
4. Test thoroughly on both X11 and Wayland
5. Submit pull request
## License
GPL-3.0 - See [LICENCE](LICENCE.md) for details.
## Credits
- Built with Vala and GTK3
- Inspired by macOS design principles
- Uses libwnck for X11 window management
- Uses gtk-layer-shell for Wayland support
- Uses wlr-foreign-toplevel-management for Wayland window tracking
- NetworkManager integration for network status
---
**NovaBar** - Bringing macOS-style elegance to Linux desktops.